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Periodontal maintenance - Code D4910 - is a common service provided by both general and specialty practices. The ADA code description and insurance reimbursement for this procedure have undergone changes in the past few years. The current description for D4910 is "a procedure instituted following periodontal therapy and continuing at varying intervals, determined by the clinical evaluation of the dentist, for the life of the dentition or any implant replacements. It includes removal of bacterial plaque and calculus from supragingival and subgingival regions, site-specific scaling and root planing where indicated, and polishing the teeth. If new or recurring periodontal disease appears, additional diagnostic and treatment procedures must be considered."
* Although the definition states that intervals between the procedures are determined by the dentist, it does not mention an exam or diagnosis by the dentist. The dentist's exam has not been listed in the definition since the CDT-1 (1990-95). Therefore, an exam - most typically a D0120, periodic oral evaluation - may still be properly reported separately from the D4910. Remember that any evaluation code the dentist deems appropriate may be reported. However, most carriers will only...